Food Behaving Excessively

The Guardian--and its entertaining roster of commenters--take on the excesses of presentation.
More excess: Ed Levine, of Serious Eats NY, reviews the oversized, verging on ridiculous, Pulino's, a pizzeria with a social pecking order, which guarantees I won't be visiting the joint.

The Kitsap Sun (I love saying that; sounds like ketchup), brings us food excesses of another kind.

There goes the neighborhood. Again.

My friend EV Grieve gives us a perfect example of how one trendy restaurant can take an entire neighborhood down.

In the Bahn Mi Zon

Stopped into Bahn Mi Zon, a sunny little Vietnamese place last Saturday, that swoonily sunny day that would have made eating anything heavy seem heretical.  The space is small, but airy and welcoming; the walls are covered with photos of Vietnam and Cambodia that are both astonishing and charming.  Jazz tootles in the background.

We got an order of summer rolls, which we watched being made directly behind the counter.  This may seem like a small matter, but I have had far too many summer rolls that were tough of skin and tired of filling because they had been sitting in the fridge since seven in the morning.  These rolls were tender and fresh, packed with herbs and sparkling.  As a snack for two people for $4.50, they are hard to beat.  My only complaint was that the accompanying peanut sauce was mild enough for a PBJ.  A spoonful of hot sauce set that right, and I  contentedly ate on the bench outside, contemplating the promise of summer.

Ban Mi Zon
443 East 6th St (at Ave A)
646-524-6384